Button wire problems

[Lndshrk Steve]

Ok . . . In the new Video 10 @ 2:15 it says to pull out the gray, tan, white, pink and orange wires that were tied in knots. I've got no gray, Video 8 at 6:25 says some models will have less wires. I did NOT have the first gray wire, and it said to remove the second. I have a tan wire marked Horn and a white wire marked Hazards. I have a pink with a knot in it but it did NOT come from the steering wheel connector. I have no orange, probably because my car did not have fog lights.
So, can I live without the gray (it seems to be for switch lighting) and is this unmarked pink coming from the BCM the one I want? Thanks for any and all help.

 

[Lonny]

The cruise control wire is gray. Maybe your donor did not have cruise control.

 

[Lndshrk Steve]

Thanks Lonny, you're right. I checked the RPO codes and no cruise. Is the pink from the BCM the pink one I want or is this something else I didn't have. I kept the steering wheel connector button plug, with pigtails so I can see what color wires I had, and none were pink. I DID keep out a green wire coming from the BCM that I marked it "Accessory Power Fused" if this can be used for anything . . .
I've looked ahead and it seems the pink knoted one by the BCM is for the brake reservoir. It seems that the pink one going to the button panel is "cruise enable" so I would not have this one.

 

[dvldawg]

So, if your car came without cruise control. Is there any way to add it to the car? Could you tap into the BCM to add the GRAY WIRE?

 

[Gtstorey]

I would guess that the BCM would need to be reprogramed, but it isn't impossible that the programming is already there. I have a Kia that all I had to do was add the steering wheel with cruise control buttons to enable the cruise to work. It doesn't have the light in dash to show cruise in on though.

 

[jayrolls]

When the cruise is turned on, is there a light on the instrument cluster? To show that it is on, but not yet in gaged?

 

[Gtstorey]

Typically there is something to indicate it's on, but I'm not sure what the Cobalt actually shows. My cruise works, but I've only played with it a little bit. I was referring to the Kia not showing anything when the cruise is turned on or set.

 

[jayrolls]

Typically there is something to indicate it's on, but I'm not sure what the Cobalt actually shows. My cruise works, but I've only played with it a little bit. I was referring to the Kia not showing anything when the cruise is turned on or set.

I get that for the Kia. I just installed my button panel and it all seems to work. Just not sure about cruise yet, not at the point of driving fastest enough to test it. Wasn’t sure if like some cars that there is a indication light to show it’s active.

 

[Gtstorey]

I sort of think it shows in the read out portion, but I'm not sure.

 

[baustin]

Flipping the cruise toggle switch doesn't give a status light or message center text while sitting still. I think when driving and activating cruise I get a message like 'Cruise Engaged'. Not sure about the Cobalt buttons but maybe the toggle button lit up when possible to engage cruise, my donor wasn't a driver when I bought it after a wreck.

 

[jayrolls]

Flipping the cruise toggle switch doesn't give a status light or message center text while sitting still. I think when driving and activating cruise I get a message like 'Cruise Engaged'. Not sure about the Cobalt buttons but maybe the toggle button lit up when possible to engage cruise, my donor wasn't a driver when I bought it after a wreck.

Ok, I’ll have to check once I drive it again.

 

[Gtstorey]

Typically, cruise control will have a minimum speed before it will engage.

 

[baustin]

Yep, I know I've tested mine at low speed, at least 25mph if not 20mph and it worked.

Just keep in mind that cruise is disabled if the brake pedal or cruise pedal switches aren't completing the circuit. The buttons and mph aren't the only possible reasons it doesn't activate. Earlier models with separate linear switches have a different setup for cruise than the later models.

 

[Zoom Zoom]

I get that for the Kia. I just installed my button panel and it all seems to work. Just not sure about cruise yet, not at the point of driving fastest enough to test it. Wasn’t sure if like some cars that there is a indication light to show it’s active.

You might have to hook up your 3rd brake light to complete the circuit that’s what some of us had to do .

 

[jayrolls]

You might have to hook up your 3rd brake light to complete the circuit that’s what some of us had to do .

I have the CHMSL connected. I wasn’t sure it it would be like my other cars that the light says it’s on when you turn it on. I’ll check when I drive it again.

 

[Rauq]

I also had issues with cruise control in the beginning. I'll list out the steps I went through, with the actual root cause listed last:

1. Certain CELs can prevent cruise control, check to see if you have anything super wonky. If it's running and driving fine then that's probably not the issue.
2. The CHMSL circuit needs to see a resistive load (at least that's the general consensus, there's been speculation that early model donors aren't set up this way but nobody's tested or confirmed). The stock CHMSL from the Cobalt would work (obv) but if you have an LED CHMSL (like I do) then a resistor needs to be wired in parallel with the light to let the BCM know there's something there so it will grant you cruise control.
3. Continuity to and successful actuation of the brake pedal and cruise control switches. Later model donors with the single position sensors for the clutch and brake are a little different and I'm not knowledgeable there and I don't want to speculate. On early model donors with two switches per pedal, one switch on the clutch (bottom of travel) is for the starter safety and the other is cruise control cancel. On the brake pedal, both switches are at the top of travel, and one is for the brake lights and the other is for cruise control cancel. I think there's some cross-checking between the two but that's their designation. You need to make sure that both cruise control cancel switches are active when they're supposed to be and not when they're not, which would be telling the BCM you're on the brakes/canceling cruise control all the time and thus never granting you cruise control.
4. This was my root cause... one of the pins on the button panel was not soldered to make the connection. You can either take a multimeter to each of the switches and each of the leads and test to see if any of the buttons' continuity or resistances aren't what they're supposed to be, or at least start with a visual inspection. My picture's not hardly worth anything but one of the resistor pins that's supposed to bridge the contacts on the resume switch was almost in place... but not quite. I heated up the soldering iron and pushed the resistor pin into the solder on the switch blade, and everything worked perfectly after that.

 

[baustin]

2. The CHMSL circuit needs to see a resistive load (at least that's the general consensus, there's been speculation that early model donors aren't set up this way but nobody's tested or confirmed). The stock CHMSL from the Cobalt would work (obv) but if you have an LED CHMSL (like I do) then a resistor needs to be wired in parallel with the light to let the BCM know there's something there so it will grant you cruise control.

Just adding this so if others run across the thread searching for info, I have this LED light strip as my CHMSL:
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/upd-38943b
I don't have any additional resistors added to the circuit, 2006 SS/SC donor, cruise works without issue so at least for that model I'd say it's confirmed.